The Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on the residence of Kerala's Leader of Opposition Pinarayi Vijayan raise concerns over the weaponisation of central agencies against opposition leaders, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) chief MK Stalin said on Wednesday, May 27.
The raids began on the morning of Wednesday, May 27, at 12 locations in connection with financial transactions involving the IT firm of Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter Veena T and chemicals company Cochin Minerals and Rutile Limited (CMRL). The raid began a day after the Kerala High Court dismissed a petition filed by CMRL requesting to quash the ED probe into the case. Searches were conducted at 12 locations, including Pinarayi’s residence in Kannur, his rented house in Thiruvananthapuram, the residence of his daughter and son-in-law and former minister PA Mohammed Riyas in Kozhikode, residence of CMRL managing director Sasidharan Kartha, and the CMRL office in Aluva.
As news of the raids broke, party workers and supporters gathered at several places in protest. Several top leaders have also condemned the ED action. Kerala Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that the state government has no information regarding the raids and that the ED did not seek the state’s support in any way.
Former Tamil Nadu CM Stalin said, “Such actions once again raise serious concerns over the growing pattern of central agencies being weaponised against opposition leaders.”
He added that the raid disproves Congress’ allegations that Pinarayi has links to the BJP-RSS, saying, “This also exposes the hollowness of the reckless allegations made by some Congress leaders who repeatedly questioned why Pinarayi Vijayan had not yet been targeted by the BJP!”
Several CPI(M) leaders compared the ED action to that taken against former Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal. They also raised allegations of Congress involvement in the action against Pinarayi.
Former minister and CPI(M) leader MB Rajesh told the media that raids are proof that the BJP-led Union government is targeting the CPI(M) in Kerala. “This move is similar to the one they executed in Delhi, targeting AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal. We all know that the ED has no credibility at all; its conviction rate is less than 1%. The ED has been used by the Narendra Modi government to target and victimise opposition leaders and non-BJP party leaders. This is precisely what is happening in Kerala. This has happened in Delhi, and now it is happening here,” he said.
CPI(M) general secretary MA Baby called the raids “a targeted attack on a top opposition leader by the BJP government" and said such intimidation tactics will not work on either Pinarayi or the CPI(M). He even went on to ask, “Is the UDF government complicit in this raid?”
Former CPI(M) minister VN Vasavan even said, “Now it is evident that there is an alliance of ED, VD (CM VD Satheesan) and Modi against the CPI(M)."
CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan repeated similar allegations, asking, “How else can this raid, taking place immediately after Chief Minister VD Satheesan’s meeting with the Prime Minister in Delhi, be viewed other than as a politically orchestrated drama? Several individuals whose names reportedly appeared in the CMRL diary are today occupying positions in the state cabinet itself. Yet, while turning a blind eye to all of them, the relentless targeting of Comrade Pinarayi Vijayan only further exposes the clear political vendetta behind these actions.”
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas also shared a similar view, saying, “It is clear that the Congress leadership actively encouraged the ED to target him, just as they did in the case of Arvind Kejriwal.” He called the raids “yet another example of the systematic misuse of central agencies to harass and target political opponents. Such vindictive actions expose the authoritarian mindset.” He added that the CPI(M) will fight back resolutely with the support of the people to defend democracy.
Tagging the ED action as a “political vendetta,” Brittas told the media, “We must also underscore the fact that in this unfolding drama, the BJP is not alone. The Congress party is part and parcel of this game. Just before the elections, Rahul Gandhi came to Kerala, descended upon the state, and his very first question was, ‘Why are central agencies not implicating Pinarayi Vijayan, arresting him, and putting him behind bars?’”
Countering Brittas’ allegation on ‘X’, Congress leader and MP Shashi Tharoor said that the allegation against the Congress is baseless. “[Congress] has begun its governance in a spirit of conciliation, with the outgoing CM given a place of honour at the swearing-in. The new CM visited [Pinarayi Vijayan’s] home and paid his personal respects. Do you think he would connive at something like this? And from what you have seen of the Union government, do you really think they take their lead from any opposition party, in or out of the state government?” Tharoor asked.
Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala said that Congress does not have any relationship with the BJP. “Everyone in Kerala knows that the understanding was between the CPI(M) and the BJP. What happened to that understanding now, they have to tell the people. We are fighting with the BJP. We fought with the BJP and CPI(M) and came to power,” he told the media.
